title: Safety headgear products.
abstract: A survey of safety products in the U.K. demonstrates that the orthodontic companies have responded to the need for improvements, and consequently there is a wide choice available. Laboratory tests have shown that there is a large difference in the effectiveness of safety release headgear systems. Further work is needed on safety facebow design to develop a version which meets both the requirements of increased safety, and ease of use. Such a safety facebow, used in conjunction with an effective 'breakaway' headcap will produce a safer system. The safety elements are an integral part of breakaway headgears and safety facebows, and when they are used together--no additional cooperation is required from the patient to increase the margin of safety.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Sick Children, London.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Postlethwaite
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D005115:Extraoral Traction Appliances; D006801:Humans; D012449:Safety; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D014087:Tooth Movement Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006113:United Kingdom